Reason for the Hope Within

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive collection of modern Christian apologetics.
Review: 'Reason for the Hope Within' showcases contemporary papers in the philosophy of religion and philosophical theology by a clutch of up-and-coming Christian philosophers. The book's aim, in which it generally succeeds, is to introduce non-philosophers to the latest developments in Christian philosophy.
The authors attended a conference to road-test their material in apologetics workshops for Christian leaders and laity. The care taken to make their collected material accessible means that this volume would make an ideal `reader' for the intelligent non-specialist, or for philosophy undergraduates. The general tone of the papers might be described as the philosophical equivalent of `smart-casual', and one or two of the authors try just a little too hard to `let their hair down'. This is not to accuse these papers of flippancy or a failure to treat their subjects with due seriousness when they are being serious.
This is a well produced book, edited with an introduction and a couple of papers by Professor Michael J. Murray, who co-edited 'Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions'. It also comes with a foreword by Alvin Plantinga.
The range of subjects covered in sixteen chapters is admirable: pro and anti- theistic arguments, the relationship between faith and reason, religious pluralism, providence, religion and science, the incarnation and the trinity, resurrection, heaven and hell, miracles, ethics and the authority of scripture. I would highlight the scrupulous but nevertheless refreshing contributions from Robin Collins (on `The Fine Tuning Design Argument' and `Eastern Religions') for particular praise. The papers on `Religion and Science' (W. Christopher Stewart) and `The Authority of Scripture' (Douglas Blount on a topic infrequently covered in similar books) are also particularly edifying.
My main criticism for this compendium is that it has a distinct lack of suggested further reading, an oversight that will leave more advanced readers straining at the leash for greater detail and less advanced readers with no-where to advance towards. However, this is a fine body of accessible work that deserves attention from believers and non-believers alike.

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive collection of modern Christian apologetics.
Review: 'Reason for the Hope Within' showcases contemporary papers in the philosophy of religion and philosophical theology by a clutch of up-and-coming Christian philosophers. The book's aim, in which it generally succeeds, is to introduce non-philosophers to the latest developments in Christian philosophy.
The authors attended a conference to road-test their material in apologetics workshops for Christian leaders and laity. The care taken to make their collected material accessible means that this volume would make an ideal 'reader' for the intelligent non-specialist, or for philosophy undergraduates. The general tone of the papers might be described as the philosophical equivalent of 'smart-casual', and one or two of the authors try just a little too hard to 'let their hair down'. This is not to accuse these papers of flippancy or a failure to treat their subjects with due seriousness when they are being serious.
This is a well produced book, edited with an introduction and a couple of papers by Professor Michael J. Murray, who co-edited 'Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions'. It also comes with a foreword by Alvin Plantinga.
The range of subjects covered in sixteen chapters is admirable: pro and anti- theistic arguments, the relationship between faith and reason, religious pluralism, providence, religion and science, the incarnation and the trinity, resurrection, heaven and hell, miracles, ethics and the authority of scripture. I would highlight the scrupulous but nevertheless refreshing contributions from Robin Collins (on 'The Fine Tuning Design Argument' and 'Eastern Religions') for particular praise. The papers on 'Religion and Science' (W. Christopher Stewart) and 'The Authority of Scripture' (Douglas Blount on a topic infrequently covered in similar books) are also particularly edifying.
My main criticism for this compendium is that it has a distinct lack of suggested further reading, an oversight that will leave more advanced readers straining at the leash for greater detail and less advanced readers with no-where to advance towards. However, this is a fine body of accessible work that deserves attention from believers and non-believers alike.

Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Collection of Articles
Review: I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in a philosophical approach to Christian beliefs. The chapters are (for the most part) very well written and most people will find new and thought-provoking ideas within its pages.

"Reason for the Hope Within" is not mainly trying to give reasons for the Christian faith. Instead, it appears to me, to be concerned primarily with the reasonableness of Christian beliefs. It is a defense, from a philosophical point of view, for the viability of Christianity as a worldview.

Several articles address head-on the strongest arguments against the Christian faith. The result often leaves Christianity, like the tree pictured on the cover, battered and barely standing - even going in slightly different directions than you might have guessed - but never-the-less standing.

Other articles address, not attacks from the outside, but questions Christians should ask themselves as they seek to build up a rigorous faith.

And still others attempt to make unbelievers "uncomfortable" with their position. These articles address just how far Christians can expect arguments for their believe to take them when addressing unbelievers.

Some of the many topics covered include:
-The problem of evil (and suffering)
-Are faith and reason opposed
-The conflict between divine providence and human freedom
-Plausibility of Jesus being fully God and fully man or of God being three and yet one.
-What is meant by the physical resurrection of each person's body
-What is the nature of hell and is it justifiable
-Does science undermine Christian faith
-What are miracles, can they happen, could they convince one to accept Christianity
-Biblical ethics
-And Biblical inerrancy

Along the way it also (more briefly) addresses the belief systems of Hindus, Atheists, Pluralists, and ethical relativists.

For the number of topics covered, there is a surprising amount of substance to each article (a few, however, did leave me wanting to have further discussion with its author). Though it was not light reading, I enjoyed this book very much.

Rating:
Summary: The weight of truth
Review: The author of every essay in this collection uses his/her mind to probe both deep aspects of God's being and controversial issues in Christianity. Each article is impressive in its breadth and depth, particularly given the brevity devoted to such issues as hell and God's sovereignty. Every article is comprised of a review of historical teachings on a topic, then presents the authors reasoned position. The author's arguments are all well-constructed. As such, they are food for thought to anyone interested in Christian doctrine, whether you agree with the author's position or not.

Additionally, in a world that relegates faith and Christian doctrine to mystical lunacy, that holds religious belief as subordinate to the "facts" of science, it is refreshing to read logical arguments for Christian doctrine.

Rating:
Summary: Catch up with Contemporary Apologetics!!!
Review: This book is tremendous!! As I read this book, it amazed me how each article had such new insights into the defense of the faith. You just can't buy this material anywhere else. This book is for the able reader(or someone who is relatively familiar with Evangelical Apologetics)who wants to know what Christian Scholars are thinking these days.

Rating:
Summary: Christian Philosophy and Apologetics at its Best
Review: This book should be required reading for every thinking Christian. The articles are very engaging and informative. Each contributor deals with a certain philosophical and/or theological issue from the problem of evil to divine action and human freedom. It is a compilation of some of the choice young Christian philosophers and apologists currently writing and researching. This title is a fresh assessment of some fairly thorny issues that have been discussed for centuries. Michael J. Murray (co-editor with Eleonore Stump for the book titled "Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions) is the editor, while great thinkers such as Alvin Plantinga (who wrote the forward), J.P. Moreland ("Scaling the Secular City"), William J. Wainwright (editor of "Faith and Philosophy"), and Kelly James Clark ("Return to Reason") endorse the book. While the book anticipates that the reader already has a background knowledge in the areas covered, nonetheless, each article is so well articulated that the reader will either gain a better understanding or be able to develop a data base to launch them into further investigation. Thus, this work is a must for anyone interested in the areas of Philosophy of Religion and Christian Apologetics.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: Thorough, excellent, and honest. For those who wish to strengthen their faith, dig deeper into important questions that postmodernism has imposed afresh upon Christianity, or want to know how to better defend their Christian beliefs, this book is for them. These fine contributors have done a masterful job of taking complex, powerful philosophical arguments that support the Christian faith and making them such that the lay-person can grasp and use them. Yet, at the same time, readers are not spoon-fed -- you are challenged to think! Great work.